Cut from a Different Cloth

It's that time of the year when the long sleeved t-shirts are coming out and the short sleeved t-shirt  is going away until next Summer or if it's seen better days, it's about to be thrown in the bin. But before you chuck it, stop and have a creative think. Maybe there's something else you could do with it?! And so in steps this weeks Tiddlybits with creative inspiration for all your t-shirt related crafty goodness!

The first thing you need to learn, before embarking on any t-shirt craft projects, is how to make yarn from a t-shirt. It's so versatile and easy to do too. This tutorial from Simply Crochet Mag explains how to make it and is super simple to follow. 

You can put your t-shirt yarn straight to work making these super pretty coasters with a vintage feel. The tutorial featured on Mom It Forward and is from Jenn at Endlessly Inspired - which is a blog I urge you to check out if you're looking for ideas for your next project. 

A more advanced project is to make a basket from t-shirt yarn using crochet. This great tutorial from Instructables will get you making tonnes of these in no time and as you get more confident you can upscale the methods to make bigger baskets!

Another great tutorial from these folks is this no-sew t-shirt bag. I'm a bit dubious about how much weight it could hold but definitely a cool idea and worth a try.

And speaking of no sewing, if you are not into all this yarn business how about you try this no sew pillow from Dream Book Design? It is so classy and easy to make - the perfect combination.

I hope that this weeks Tiddlybits has at least planted the seed of a creative idea in your brain but if not head over to my Pinterest board for lots more inspiration. 

Happy Crafting! 

This Old Thing Inspires

So exciting evening! I finally got to catch up on Dawn O'Porters new programme 'This Old Thing: The Vintage Clothes Show" on Channel 4. I love this woman for so many reasons but particularly for all the photos of the fabulous outfits she posts on her instagram which give me a daily dose of clothes envy! 

I never get the chance to buy clothes as I'm usually broke but I adore clothes. I love looking at them, feeling them, imagining the looks I could put together etc. but unfortunately this adoration very rarely gets to leave my imagination. As soon as I enter a clothes shop Miss Imagination seems to go "Oh no! You're on your own here. Call me when you're done" leaving me alone in the middle of a shop with hundreds of items and no idea what to do with them and how to put them together, There is no point in looking at the mannequin for inspiration as my body has about forty more curves than it and all in the oddest places you can think of! So, instead, I revert back to my old tradition of a) buying a dress which can be worn on its own so don't have to worry about matching or b) something coloured that I can team that with one of many black items in my wardrobe! I then end up very quickly hating what I've bought as I'm frustrated by myself and the fact that I'm not wearing on the outside what I feel on the inside!

So in steps Dawn's new show to save the day! It really addressed all the worries I had about vintage/second hand shopping - the not worrying if you don't find anything, what to do if something doesn't quite fit and great ideas on how to put outfits together for all body types! I also loved the up cycling of old clothes into something new. Feeling inspired I decided to put what I had seen to practice straight away. 

I recently acquired this stunning top from my Nanny (a.k.a my grandmother to all you non-Irish folk!) but wanted to do something more exciting with it than put it with my usual black especially as  it's Summer and the weather is boiling!! So I had a rummage around my wardrobe and found and old blue skirt - perfect! One thing that the stylists (Dawn?) on the show did was they accessorised really well so I also added a brown belt (which was a very good life choice I feel) and VOILA! A new bright summery outfit was born!

I also did some sixties hair with bright lipstick and dark eyes just to give it more of a stylish feel! 

And I LOVE it!!! I will definitely be wearing this look out and about! 

Thanks for the inspiration Dawn and team!!

NOTE: I know this post doesn't technically count as a blog post about crafts but hopefully it will inspire you to create something new out of your old clothes or just wear them with something different! Here's the link to Dawn's scrapbooking page for more inspiration!